As of now, with the 2022 NBA playoffs about to officially begin, the Boston Celtics are considered by many people as a legitimate championship contender.
They finished with the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and they did so by making a late-season charge in which they won 28 of their last 35 games.
Boston got it done with defense – it finished the regular season with the second-highest defensive rating in pro basketball.
The Celtics are certainly a very strong team, but for them to actually reach the NBA Finals, let alone win the world championship, they will likely need one more piece.
Jayson Tatum Is Outstanding
Jayson Tatum may not win the regular season MVP award this year, but he is starting to make a strong case for next year’s MVP honors.
He finished the regular season averaging 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, and he came on strong down the stretch to power Boston’s hot streak.
In March, the former Duke University star put up 32.8 points per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from 3-point range.
Perhaps his best game this year was a 54-point effort in March versus the Brooklyn Nets, who will be the Celtics’ opponents in the first round of the playoffs.
Jayson Tatum had the hot hand for us this afternoon as he dropped a season-high 54 points during our 126-120 win over the Nets. pic.twitter.com/4f1utLR2aC
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 7, 2022
Perhaps someday soon Tatum will lead the NBA in scoring for an entire season.
In addition, he is an improving defender who can make a very noticeable impact on that end of the floor as well.
Jaylen Brown Is A Strong Co-Star
Last season, Jaylen Brown emerged as a true force when he made the All-Star team for his first time, and he has maintained that type of play this season.
The 6-foot-6 wing put up 23.6 points a game, and he nearly matched Tatum’s best output this year when he exploded for 50 points in early January in a win over the Orlando Magic.
Jaylen Brown’s 50-point performance helped us turn the game around and complete a 116-111 comeback win over the Magic. pic.twitter.com/u7sOqu0SNf
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 3, 2022
Brown and Tatum give the Celtics one of the NBA’s best wing duos since the days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the 1990s.
They provide Boston with a unique one-two offensive punch that puts a lot of pressure on opposing wing defenders.
But as potent as Brown and Tatum are on a consistent basis, Boston still needs a scoring point guard who can distribute in order to get to the next level.
The Missing Piece
As good as Marcus Smart is, especially on the defensive end, where he is a virtuoso, he just isn’t much of an offensive threat, and he is not exactly efficient either.
His shooting percentages – 41.8 percent overall and 33.1 percent from 3-point land this season – don’t concern anyone on the other side.
To help with backcourt production, Boston signed Dennis Schröder last offseason.
He has done fairly well, averaging 14.4 points a game, but he just isn’t enough to get the Celtics over the hump.
This summer, team executive Danny Ainge will need to look to make a bold trade to acquire someone who can produce offensively like Kemba Walker did last season, but with more efficiency and better defense.
If or when Boston does so, it will join the ranks of teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks who are prime-time championship contenders.
NEXT: Are The Celtics True Contenders To Win The 2022 Title?